Club Constitution

1. TITLE

The Name of the club shall be Badenoch and Strathspey Orienteering Club hereinafter referred to as ‘the club’. This club also incorporates Lochaber Orienteering Club.

2. AIMS

The aim of the club is to promote the sport of orienteering and to promote the participation of the whole community in the sport by providing the facilities for events, and for training and coaching in the sport.

3. MEMBERSHIP

The club shall be open to all persons interested in orienteering on completion of a membership form and payment of an annual subscription (comprising either, Club, SOA and British Orienteering elements, or Club and SOA elements only). Types of members shall be senior and junior members. Junior membership applies to anyone who will be under 21 during the year of membership. Family Membership will comprise the total of senior and junior membership fees applicable. Second club members require to pay only the Club element.
Membership of the club shall be open to all persons irrespective of ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion or beliefs; or of age, sex, or disability except as a necessary consequence of the requirements of orienteering as a particular sport.

4. ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION

The club committee shall determine the annual club element of the subscription. Membership fees as decided by the committee shall be due by mid December and members unpaid after 1 April shall be deemed to have resigned. New members joining for the first time on or after 1 November shall be deemed to be members for the whole of the following year.

5. AFFILIATION TO OTHER BODIES

The club shall be affiliated to the Scottish Orienteering Association and to British Orienteering.

6. OFFICE BEARERS

At each Annual General Meeting the Club shall elect the following office bearers: Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and at least two other committee members. The committee shall have the power to co-opt such other members as it may be necessary to appoint such that the total membership of the committee does not exceed twelve.

7. MANAGEMENT

Any vacancy on the Committee shall be filled by the Committee at their discretion until the next AGM. The Committee shall have the power to regulate the management of the club.

8. COMMITTEE MEETINGS

If the chair is not present at the meeting, the Committee will decide on the Chair for the Meeting. The committee shall meet a minimum of twice per annum and accurate minutes shall be kept. This number of meetings is deemed to be adequate as further decisions can be taken with contact between committee members through e-mail. The Chair or any three members of the committee shall at any time have the power to require the Secretary to call a meeting of the committee. Any vote taken will be decided by a simple majority but in a tie the Chair shall have a casting vote. The quorum for a committee meeting shall be four members.

9. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

An Annual General Meeting shall be held by 31 December in each year for the purpose of electing the Office Bearers and members of the Committee for the ensuing year, for receiving the Chair’s and Treasurer’s reports and for transacting all other competent business. Before election of Office Bearers the Chair shall make a report and the Treasurer shall present audited accounts. The Secretary shall give intimation of the AGM at least 28 days prior to the meeting. Such notification may be contained in a newsletter. All notices of motions affecting the constitution signed by the proposer and seconder shall be delivered to the Secretary in writing 14 days before the date of the AGM. The committee shall draw up the full Agenda of the AGM.

10. GENERAL MEETING PROCEDURE

The quorum for a General Meeting shall be nine voting members. Should a General Meeting be inquorate then that meeting shall be adjourned and another meeting called for the same purpose. If there is still no quorum the senior members attending shall be empowered to undertake the business. At such general Meetings the Chair or Secretary shall act as Chair. Should both the Chairman and Secretary be absent the members shall elect a Vice-Chair for the meeting. All voting shall be by a show of hands of members aged 16 and over on 31 December of the same calendar year. No proxy voting shall be allowed. Affiliated groups shall be entitled to one vote by a person nominated by the group and declared in advance. Decisions in General Meetings shall be by a simple majority with the Chair having a casting vote in addition to his/her vote as required except in the case of amendments to the Constitution which shall require a 2/3 majority of the meeting.

11. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING

The Secretary shall call a Special General Meeting of the club when required by a requisition signed by at least five members of the club or by the Chair. The Meeting shall be held within 21 days of the date of receipt of such requisition by the Chair. Requests for such meeting should be accompanied by full details and by a fee of £15.00 returnable if the business is competent. The request or requisition shall state the business of the meeting and no other business shall be competent. Proper Notice of holding Special General Meetings specifying the business and place, date and time of the meeting shall be given at least 14 days before the meeting. Such notification may be contained in a newsletter.

12. FINANCE

The financial year of the club shall run from 1 October to 30 September. The Treasurer shall present audited accounts at the Annual General Meeting. The property, effects and funds of the club shall be used solely to promote the aims of the club and no portion thereof shall be paid either directly or indirectly to members of the club except in payment for professional services or by way of direct reimbursement of out of pocket expenses incurred in carrying out the club’s aims. All money shall be banked with a recognised bank. The Treasurer and either of two other appointed Committee members shall sign cheques. Bank mandate to include Treasurer, Chair and Secretary and one other member appointed by the committee.

13. AUDITOR

The accounts shall be audited annually by a person that is independent of the committee and not related to a committee member but may be a member of the club.

14. DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY AND TREASURER

The Secretary shall conduct all correspondence on behalf of the club. He/she shall give notice to each member of the committee of committee meetings and shall keep a record of all business transacted at such meetings. Minutes of all meetings shall be submitted for approval at the subsequent committee meeting.
The Treasurer shall keep proper accounts and records showing the financial affairs of the club and shall submit to all members at each AGM a statement of accounts for the preceding year. The accounts shall commence on 1 October and close on 30 September.
Such accounts shall be certified as correct and signed as such by the auditor.

15.SUSPENSION OR DISMISSAL

The Committee shall have the authority shall they deem it necessary in the interests of other club members to suspend or dismiss from membership any member who gives offence to other members by reason of unseemly behaviour or other misdemeanour. Appeal against such a decision may be made to the club’s members and decided by a majority vote.

16.DISSOLUTION

If upon the winding up or dissolution of the Club there remains after the satisfaction of all its debts and liabilities any property whatsoever the same shall be given to some other organisation(s) having objects similar to those of the club.
The organisation to benefit will be determined at a General Meeting of the Club. If this is not possible for whatever reason any remaining property shall be given to the Scottish Orienteering Association.

17. CHILD PROTECTION

The club shall appoint a Child Protection Officer whose responsibility it will be to keep a copy of the Scottish Orienteering Association Policy Document on Child Protection and to ensure that the policy is applied by the club.

18. DATA PROTECTION

The Club shall hold a copy of the Scottish Orienteering Association Policy Document Data Protection and shall implement it.

19. OMISSIONS

The committee shall have the power to act on any matters not covered by the Constitution.